Biodegradable Capsule Oxygen Barrier via Composite Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current capsules for automatic infusion machines are either not biodegradable, not compostable, or not oxygen-tight, posing environmental and preservation issues, with no solution providing both biodegradability and oxygen impermeability.
Innovation Solution
A capsule with a body made of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biodegradable polyesters, hermetically sealed with a biodegradable and oxygen-tight film, ensuring both environmental sustainability and product preservation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aluminum material is used for capsule body, then oxygen tightness is improved, but biodegradability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures where the capsule body uses biodegradable plastics (PLA, PHA, or PBS) combined with specific barrier coatings or多层 structures that provide oxygen tightness. The closure film uses composite layers including aluminum foil, metallized film, or coating films that deliver oxygen barrier properties while the overall capsule structure remains biodegradable and compostable.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If biodegradable plastic material is used for capsule body, then biodegradability is improved, but oxygen tightness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures where the capsule body uses biodegradable plastics (PLA, PHA, or PBS) combined with specific barrier coatings or多层 structures that provide oxygen tightness. The closure film uses composite layers including aluminum foil, metallized film, or coating films that deliver oxygen barrier properties while the overall capsule structure remains biodegradable and compostable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the properties of biodegradable plastics through plasticization and compounding to enhance their oxygen barrier performance. Specific plasticizers and compounding agents are used to adjust the material parameters to achieve both biodegradability and improved oxygen tightness.
3Reliability
If aluminum film is used for closure, then oxygen tightness is improved, but biodegradability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The closure film uses composite layers including aluminum foil, metallized film, or coating films that deliver oxygen barrier properties while maintaining overall capsule biodegradability. The film structure is designed so that the biodegradable components can decompose while the aluminum or metallized layers provide the necessary oxygen barrier during storage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The capsule achieves high-quality preservation of infused products while being completely biodegradable and compostable, addressing environmental concerns and ensuring effective oxygen barrier properties.
Implementation Method 1
The body (7) is made of a polymeric material that is both biodegradable, compostable, and impermeable to oxygen
Implementation Method 2
When the body is hermetically sealed with a biodegradable and oxygen-tight film, the capsule guarantees high quality preservation for the product to be infused
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a capsule (3) for the extraction of a beverage, comprising a hollow body (7) delimiting an internal volume (9) for receiving a product to be infused such as coffee, the hollow body (7) comprising a tubular side wall (11) having a central axis and a bottom (13) closing a first axial end (15) of the side wall (11), characterized in that said body (7) is made of a material selected from polyhydroxyalkanoates, said material possibly further comprising at least one additive.